Saturday, December 20, 2008

A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at a reunion and decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired. During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work and lives. Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups - porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the hot chocolate.

When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor said: "Notice that all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. The cup that you're drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup; but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups.

Now consider this: Life is the hot chocolate; your job, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life. The cup you have does not define, nor change the quality of life you have. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate God has provided us. God makes the hot chocolate, man chooses the cups. The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything that they have. Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. And enjoy your hot chocolate.

Friday, December 5, 2008

Happy Advent. I realize not all families are Christian and not all families celebrate Advent. However, for my family we do celebrate Advent and I thought I would take some time to tell you about what we do and why. Who knows maybe you will find something new or something you would like to add to your home school.

For us we have an Advent wreath. I LOVE our advent wreath. I believe I bought it from current, I know I bought it the first year my husband and I were married because I had to have one. Advent was not something my husband really celebrated so this was new to him, and like the good hubby he is, he particpated. Advent has now become just as imporant to him as it is to me.

For our family every night we join around the table and light our Advent wreath and sing the song "Light the Advent Candle" and we read from our devotion. Now for us each year our devotion changes, based on what I find I like that year.

This year I did find a very cool source: http://miikogibson.com/advent_study.htm if you click on the weeks you can get a complete weekly packet for kids dealing with advent and the bible.